(Posted 9-19-00)
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
News Service Contact: Steve Gilliam, 336-334-5371
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STUDENTS CAN STUDY SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETATION
AT UNCG AND EARN STIPENDS IN NEW GRANT PROGRAM
GREENSBORO—Students who want to study educational sign language interpreting can receive $6,000 per year through a five-year federal grant program that is beginning this fall at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
Funding for the program is expected to exceed $1 million, with first-year funding of $203,882 already received. The program, which leads to a bachelor’s degree, is being administered through the Department of Specialized Educational Development in the UNCG School of Education.
“We’re hoping this grant will attract students from across the country,” said Dr. Edgar Shroyer, a professor in the department who received the grant. “The need (for qualified interpreters) is not just with school systems in North Carolina, it’s all over the country. This program will provide skills, knowledge and a broader educational background for interpreters who will be working in classrooms.”
Twenty-one students will be accepted into the program, which will provide stipends of $3,000 per semester, or $6,000 each academic year. It will take students two years to complete the requirements. There is a requirement that students repay the stipends by working one year for each semester they received the funds. Students are not required to remain in North Carolina, and the repayment work requirement can be done in any state. A program coordinator will be hired to work directly with the students.
The new program is an addition to the existing curriculum in educational interpreting, which is part of the overall education of deaf children program at UNCG. Students will earn the Bachelor of Science degree and their coursework will include field experiences in classrooms. Graduates will acquire professional competencies recognized by the standards committee of the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf/Council on Education of the Deaf.
In addition to their studies, students will take part in projects that will examine a variety of areas in the field of deaf education. Topics include the best speed for deaf children to understand sign language, the most preferred mode of communication for hearing impaired students, what personal characteristics do hearing impaired students like most in interpreters, and parental understanding of the role of interpreters.
Shroyer has been a faculty member at UNCG since 1978, and was previously director of the division of the education of deaf children in the Department of Communication. He is author of two textbooks, “Signs of the Times” and “Signing English,” and a teacher’s manual “American Sign Language Activities.” He and his wife, Susan Shroyer, are co-authors of “Signs Across America.” He is co-editor of another book, “Multihandicapped Hearing Impaired: Identification and Instruction.” He has received more than $3 million in grants and contracts for research and personnel preparation. The amount includes over $300,000 in a three-year grant to send teachers to work with deaf and hard-of-hearing students in rural areas of North Carolina. He holds the Ph.D. degree from the University of Pittsburgh.
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